Starbucks is placing tech at the center of its ambitious growth plans as the coffee giant looks to open almost 50% more locations by 2021. At an investor meeting yesterday, the company’s senior figures revealed plans to open around 12,000 new stores by 2021, bringing its total to roughly 37,000. The growth will be driven by enticing more customers with new products, store formats and technology, including offering members of its rewards program the ability to speak or message their orders into their mobile phones.